Parts of the US are colder than Antarctica as a frigid polar vortex brings temperatures of -30 degrees

01/30/2019

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National Weather Service

polar vortex wind chill

Temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius) were recorded in Wisconsin on Wednesday morning, part of a wider freezing weather system stretching from New York to North Dakota.

Just one weather station in Antarctica managed a temperature lower than -30F.

More than 55 million Americans will experience sub-zero temperatures, and four deaths have already been linked to the deadly weather system.

AccuWeather data showed that just one weather station in Antarctica recorded a lower temperature at the same time. Most were significantly warmer.

Temperatures have also broken US records: Rockford, Illinois, registered its lowest-ever reading of minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 degrees Celsius) at 4 a.m. on Wednesday , three degrees colder than the previous record from 1966.

The NSW predicts that the lowest temperature on Wednesday will be minus 33 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 36 degrees Celsius), recorded at Fosston, Minnesota.

REUTERS/Pinar Istek

Polar Vortex

At least four deaths have been liked to the weather as of Tuesday, the Associated Press reported . A man was struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area, a couple's SUV struck another on a snow-covered road in Indiana, and a man in Milwaukee man was found frozen to death in a garage.

The NWS and other services have been advising the public on ways to stay safe including wearing extra layers to prevent frostbite.

The service warned on Tuesday that people could get frostbite and hypothermia after spending as little as five minutes outside.

Chicago Public Health advised people in the area: "Chicago, take extra precautions to stay warm & avoid hypothermia & frostbite. Avoid unnecessary trips outside, and if it is necessary to go outside, wear several loose fitting layers of warm clothing. Make sure your cell phone is charged & keep a blanket in your car."

Hundreds of public schools and several large universities from North Dakota to Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday or planned to do so Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, while the US Postal Service said it was suspending services in some places because it wouldn't be safe for staff to go outside.